The Next Great Adventure
by princessviolet
Summary: It's up to Luigi, Daisy, and Waluigi to discover the whereabouts of the other Mario Kart racers after they mysteriously disappear. Please R&R. Chapter 12 is finally up!
1. Paradise Island

Author's note: Hello and welcome to my new fanfic! This is my second story (the first is a game crossover-I only got one review doo hooo hoo). Anyway, please R & R. And btw, I don't own any of the characters, places, etc in the story otherwise I wouldn't be here right now.  
  
Chapter 1: Paradise Island  
  
Luigi stared out the window and sighed. There had been nothing but rainy weather on the island resort for the past three days, and he was tired of being holed up in the tiny hut he shared with his brother.  
"Some tropical paradise this is," he muttered to himself.  
"Cheer up Luigi," answered Mario, who was busy trying to build a house of cards. "Peach and I saw a patch of blue sky when we were walking along the beach yesterday. The rain should clear up by tomorrow-just in time for the big race."  
"I sure hope so," Luigi replied. Just then the younger brother noticed a white parasol bobbing down the pathway leading to the hut. "Looks like you have a visitor."  
"Oh Mariooooo!" came a distinctly female voice.  
Mario got up to open the door, knocking over his card house in the process. He paused for a second, shrugged, and opened the door.  
"Hello gorgeous" Mario said to the visitor.  
"Hello yourself," giggled Peach. "Guess what? There's a party going on in Bungalow Two. All you can eat seafood and a calypso band!"  
"Sounds like fun," replied Mario. "Coming with us bro?"  
"I'll pass," Luigi responded.  
"Come on Luigi," the princess coaxed. "It'll be fun. Everyone who is racing tomorrow is invited."  
Luigi knew Peach's comment meant that Daisy would be at the party. People seemed to think that he and Daisy were an item, but Luigi had not yet figured out how he felt about her.  
"Alright, alright I'll go," Luigi consented.  
Mario and Peach made their way to the bungalow hand in hand with Luigi trailing behind them. When the three made it to the party Luigi saw that Peach was right- the bungalow was filled with cart race contestants. Wario was loading up his plate at the buffet while chatting with Donkey Kong. Bowzer was bragging to King Boo about his new six-wheeler, and Birdo was in a heated argument with Yoshi over whose cart they should use in the upcoming race. Even the band included some racers. Toad was on the steel drum and Toadette was singing her heart out.  
"Come on Mario," squealed Peach, "Let's dance!" With that, Peach took Mario's hand and led him to the dance floor, leaving Luigi to mingle by himself. He was about to go for the buffet line when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He spun around and found himself face to face with Daisy, who was looking radiant in her yellow halter dress with a tropical flower print.  
"Hey Luigi," Daisy began shyly, "Wanna dance?"  
"Erm..." Luigi replied, "I'm really not much of a dancer."  
"That's ok. I'm not either. Come on!"  
Luigi reluctantly followed Daisy onto the dance floor.  
"Now," Daisy said to Luigi, "Put your hand here on my hip and that one...there! Now follow me. One, two, three...that's it!"  
"Why are we waltzing to a calypso band?"  
Daisy blushed. "It's the only dance I know how to do."  
Luigi and Daisy spent the next few of hours dancing. At one point a conga line formed and all of the guests wound around the tiki torch-lit hall.  
"Whew," Luigi exclaimed when he and Daisy broke away from the crowd. "It's getting late, and I need to rest up if my brother and I are going to win the big race tomorrow."  
"What makes you so sure? Peach and me are a close second in the circuit this year."  
"Well, be that as it may I really must be going," Luigi replied and started for the door.  
"Wait," Daisy said, taking Luigi's hand. "I'll go with you."  
Daisy allowed Luigi to lead her out of the bungalow and into the cool night air. A faint breeze was winding its way through the palm trees. The rain had stopped during the party but water could still be heard dripping off the large leaves. An infinity of stars replaced the clouds that had loomed over the island sky earlier in the day. Luigi and Daisy walked silently until they came to a fork in the path.  
"Well, my hut is down that way," Luigi said, "So I guess this is goodnight."  
"Goodnight, Luigi," the princess replied as she let go of his hand. "See you tomorrow on the race track. The one shaped like Yoshi, right?"  
"Yep," was all Luigi could think to say. The beauty of the princess's porcelain skin shining in the moonlight mesmerized him. He wanted to pick her up, spin her around, and kiss her, but he knew he was too shy.  
Daisy stood as if waiting for something before she wished Luigi a good night again and gracefully walked down the path toward her hut. Luigi stood for a moment wrestling with his feelings, but eventually decided that he could deal with them after a good night's sleep.  
  
Luigi woke up the next morning to a clear blue day- and an empty stomach. He realized that he hadn't eaten since lunch the day before (he had been so busy dancing that he had forgotten about the buffet).  
"Hey Mario," Luigi said to the bed across from his, "I'm going to the café. Want anything?"  
There was no response, and Luigi figured his older brother was asleep. Luigi got dressed and headed toward the door, but when he got to the bed on the other side of the room he noticed that no one was there.  
"That must have been some party," Luigi said for himself as he left the hut and made his way toward the café.  
When he got there, Luigi saw that there were only three other people in the restaurant besides him- Waluigi, Toadette, and Daisy.  
"Where is everyone?" Luigi asked Daisy, who was sitting at a table with the other two.  
"That's what we're trying to figure out," answered Waluigi.  
"When I woke up this morning Peach wasn't in her bed," Daisy said.  
"The same thing happened to me," added Toadette. "I woke up and Toad was gone."  
"Me too," Luigi responded. "I wonder if they're still at the bungalow. Have any of you checked over there yet?"  
"So that's where Wario went," muttered Waluigi.  
"No," replied Daisy, "Maybe we should head over there now."  
"Can't we wait till after breakfast?" whined Waluigi. "I'm starved!"  
A mushroom-capped waiter came and took everyone's orders. Then he disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later he came out with coffee, scones, and bagels. The group ate in silence. When they were finished and had paid their bills, Luigi stood up and everyone followed him to the bungalow.  
When Luigi walked into the front door he was met with an eerie silence. A strange smell wafted its way into his nose.  
"Blegh!" exclaimed Waluigi. "It smells like fried mushrooms in here."  
Toadette's face went white when she noticed something under one of the long tables. As she got closer she noticed what it was-her beloved Toad was lying on the ground, covered in burns.  
  
So that's the end of chapter one. Sorry it was so short, but the next chapters should be longer and more interesting. Don't forget to R & R. 


	2. Fried Mushrooms

Author's note: Well, here comes chapter two of this strange but potentially entertaining story. Thanks to all two of you who reviewed the first chapter. You like me, you really like me!! I'm thinking about changing the title. It was about midnight by the time I actually got it uploaded and titles take more time than I had to develop. So I would appreciate suggestions. Ok enough of my rambling. Read on and don't forget to R&R. Oh yea, and I don't own this stuff, the good people at Nintendo doooooo!!  
  
Chapter 2: Fried Mushrooms  
  
"Toad!" cried Toadette as she ran over to the boy's charred body. She knelt down to feel his pulse. Toad grimaced as she touched her hand to the blackened flesh.  
"He's alive," Toadette exclaimed, relieved.  
"Toadette..." croaked Toad.  
"I'm right here. Everything's going to be fine."  
"K...K..." was all Toad could say before he passed out.  
"What's he saying?" asked Waluigi.  
"Does it matter?" Luigi said. "We need to get Toad out of here. Is there some kind of first aid hut around here or something?"  
"That's not going to help," Daisy replied. "These burns are way too serious to be treated on this island, and the only way off is by ferry. Even with medical personnel on the boat Toad wouldn't have much chance at survival. Wait! I could call the hospital in the Mushroom Kingdom. They have a helicopter that could come out and pick us up in no time."  
Daisy went off to find a phone, leaving Luigi and Waluigi to look around the bungalow for clues while Toadette stayed at Toad's side. They discovered burn marks on almost every part of the building-on the ceiling, the stage, and even on the instruments used in the band the night before.  
"Who could have done this?" Luigi muttered to himself.  
"Hey Luigi, come over here!" called Waluigi, holding up a long, thin object.  
"It's just a broom," said Luigi, slightly irritated at what he saw as Waluigi's incompetence.  
"Yes, I know it's a broom, but there's something inscribed on the handle."  
Luigi took the broom from Waluigi's hand and looked at the inscription. There were no words, only a symbol-a circle and a square next to each other with a triangle on top. Luigi knew he had seen it before but could not place where exactly. Before he could sort out his thoughts, Daisy entered the room.  
"The helicopter is on is way. It should only take about thirty minutes to get here," announced Daisy.  
"Wh-what should we do until then?" stammered Toadette, who had been quietly sobbing. Daisy knelt down and put her arm around Toilette's trembling shoulders to comfort her.  
  
"I guess all we can do is wait," answered Luigi.  
  
"...Fractured arm, first, second, and third degree burns," the doctor said, finishing up a list of Toad's injuries. He was a stout toadstool man, only about an inch taller than Toad. He wore a white lab coat and a nametag inscribed "Dr. Fungi."  
"Is he going to live?" Luigi asked.  
"It's hard to say at this point. He's still in a coma, and poor Toadette hasn't left his side for a minute."  
"Well, let me know if his condition improves," Luigi replied making his way back to the waiting room.  
"So, what's the good word?" Waluigi asked sarcastically. He was lounging on an overstuffed green couch, flipping through a sports magazine.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" snapped Luigi.  
"Sheesh. SOME-body's in a bad mood today."  
"Shouldn't you be planning your next cash raid with that fat-never mind." Luigi sighed, took off his cap, ran his fingers through his hair, and put the cap back on. "I can't wait around here when someone is doing who knows what to my brother. And everyone else for that matter."  
Luigi sat on a straight-backed chair for a few minutes. The waiting room was silent except for the background noise of the hospital and the occasional turning of pages. Luigi suddenly sat straight up.  
"I know," he said. "I'll go ask the Chancellor. He should know something about who would be capable of making an entire party disappear. And I can tell him about the symbol on the broom handle.  
"Good idea," replied Daisy. "Waluigi and I will stay here and wait to hear word of Toad's condition."  
"We...will?" Waluigi said. Daisy gave him a look that caused him to go back to his magazine.  
Luigi left the waiting room and took an elevator down to the main lobby. Then he left the hospital and walked down the path toward the Mushroom Palace.  
The Mushroom Palace was the most majestic building in the kingdom. Its flag-topped towers glistened in the afternoon sun. A drawbridge stretched its way over the moat and led to two huge double doors with large, round stone knockers. Luigi made his way across the bridge and to the door. He raised one of the knockers and let it fall.  
"Who goes there?" came a voice from inside the castle.  
"It is I, Luigi Mario," replied Luigi. "I need to speak with the Chancellor. It is on a matter of the utmost importance."  
The right door opened slowly, leaving just enough space for Luigi to come through. Then he noticed a small mushroom guard pulling a chain, which caused the door behind him to close again.  
"This way," the guard said when he was finished.  
Luigi followed the small man into the Chancellor's throne room and down a long red carpet. The room itself was a grand display of red, gold, and violet. Giant tapestries hung on the walls, depicting the crest of the chancellor-a small red man jumping high above the head of a great beast.  
The Chancellor was a stout man with a round face and an even rounder stuffed crown, which was perched on top of his head. He was wearing long purple and gold robes that swept the floor when he shuffled along.  
At the moment Luigi arrived in his throne room the Chancellor was sitting in his red, stuffed throne looking at fabric swatches and discussing some business with his tailor.  
"No, no not the green one," he was saying. "I don't want to look like a bloody koopa!"  
The mushroom guard cleared his throat, causing the Chancellor to look up.  
"Sir," the guard said, bowing low, "a Luigi Mario here to see you."  
"Ah," the Chancellor replied, waving his bejeweled hand to dismiss the tailor, "Luigi! How good of you to come. What brings you to my palace?"  
"Some grave business, I'm afraid," Luigi said. "You see, the other Mario Kart racers and I were visiting Paradise Island awaiting our race on the Yoshi Circuit. At a party the night before the race everyone disappeared except Waluigi, Daisy, Toadette, Toad, and me. We found Toad under a table the next day, badly burned. When we looked around for clues we found a broom with a symbol inscribed on the handle-a circle next to a square with a triangle on top."  
"Oh!" lamented the Chancellor. "Poor Toad. He is one of my most trusted servants. Is he going to be all right?"  
"We're not sure. He's in good hands though. We got him to the hospital this morning."  
"I see. Now, about that symbol. Would you mind drawing it for me?" The Chancellor clapped his hands and a servant came to Luigi and handed him some paper and a pen. Luigi took it, drew, and handed the utensils back to the servant, who brought them up to the Chancellor.  
The Chancellor gasped. "Kamek! I knew that symbol was familiar."  
"Pardon my asking, but who is Kamek?"  
"I suppose you wouldn't remember. When you and your brother were babies, Kamek kidnapped you and brought you to his lair on Yoshi's Island. Mario rode the Yoshis all over that island looking for you. He helped a blue Yoshi defeat Kamek and regain control of the Yoshis's territory. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the bespectacled wizard koopa. Kamek went away for a while to gather his power and came back to the island, letting his minions loose once again. He slaughtered most of the Yoshis and made the rest of them his slaves. Only one Yoshi escaped the island. When he was a cub, his mother floated him across the ocean. Somehow he made it here to the Mushroom Kingdom where I took him in and raised him."  
"What does he want with the kart racers?"  
"Who knows? Maybe he has finally decided to try to take over the rest of our world. Luigi, you must not let that happen. I give you full permission and will give you anything you need to go to Yoshi's island and take back the world for the rest of us."  
"But how can I? I'm only one man and Kamek's power seems insurmountable."  
"Remember when you defeated King Boo and saved your brother from the painting he was trapped in? You are brilliant, Luigi. Brilliant and brave. I'm sure you will find a way."  
Luigi thanked the Chancellor for his help and practically ran out of the palace and back down the path toward the hospital as the sun was setting behind the distant hills. He knew that if he were to take on his greatest adventure yet he would need companionship. And he knew exactly where to find it. 


	3. Shy Guy's Story

Author's note: Hello again fellow fan fiction readers! I'll keep this short since I know you'd rather read the story than my ramblings. Thanks to all my reviewers. Keep R & Ring and I shall keep writing. Oh and the royal disclaimer-I do not own the people, places, etc. so don't sue me Nintendo type people.

Chapter 3: Shy-Guy's Story

"So the Chancellor has given me full permission to go to Yoshi's Island and save our friends from Kamek," Luigi explained, finishing up his account of the visit to the Mushroom Palace. Waluigi stared at him with a smirk on his face.

"You mean to tell me that this Kamek, whatever that is, has the rest of the racers and the Chancellor is sending you to save all of them? HA! There's no way you can do it."

"You're absolutely right Waluigi," Luigi replied, "There's no way I can do it alone, but I do have two perfectly good people to help me right here. Daisy, Waluigi, are you in?"

"Of course," Daisy replied.

"What are you going to do, bludgeon Kamek with your parasol?" Waluigi sneered, breaking off into a fit of laughter.

Luigi was about to say something in Daisy's defense when she crossed over to the other side of the couch Waluigi was still lying on and put her arm around his neck in a chokehold.

"Wanna try me, pipsqueak?" Daisy asked menacingly.

"Unnh..." was all Waluigi could rasp.

"That's what I thought," she said as she went back to her seat and picked up the copy of "Princess's Life" she had been reading. Luigi stared in disbelief but eventually found his voice again.

"So, as I was saying, are you in, Waluigi?"

"Waah," Waluigi replied. "If I wanted to be burned to a crisp I would have jumped in a lava pit on the way over here."

"Come on," Luigi coaxed. "Think of the fame and fortune you could have. Riches beyond your wildest dreams. You could move out of Wario's castle and build one of your own with the reward money you'll get for saving the kart racers. Not to mention the girls. I mean, who doesn't like a hero I'd like to know?"

"Girls, eh?" Waluigi contemplated.

What Luigi didn't know was that there was only one girl Waluigi could ever want. She was smart, beautiful, fun, and had almost choked him to death. Waluigi knew that if he agreed to Luigi's crazy adventure he would have a chance at winning Daisy's heart.

"Alright, alright I'll go," Waluigi consented.

"Then it's settled. We leave tomorrow."

Luigi woke up feeling slightly disoriented. He had chosen a spot on the hospital waiting room's floor to sleep but didn't remember having a blanket or pillow. He also remembered dreaming something but couldn't place what. He sat up and stretched.

"Good morning sunshine," came a whiny, sarcastic voice from behind him. Luigi looked up to see Waluigi looming over him. "Ready for that adventure of yours?"

"Almost. There are a few things I need to get from home," Luigi said. "Hey, where's Daisy?"

"She's in Toad's room saying goodbye to Toadette."

"Really? Has he come out of his coma yet?"

"What do I look like, a doctor?"

Luigi sighed, pushed the blanket off, got up, and made his way to Toad's room. When he got closer he could hear someone softly crying. He stood quietly in the doorway, listening to a conversation between Daisy and Toadette. Toad was lying placidly in his white bed, his burns bandaged.

"So you see, we have to go. It's the only thing we can do to prevent more...events," Daisy was saying.

"I understand," Toadette sobbed. "D-don't worry about Toad and me. We'll be fine. I just hope he snaps out of this. I don't know how much more of this I can take. What if you, Waluigi, and Luigi don't come back? I'll have lost three more friends."

"Don't say that. We'll be back and Toad will be all right. You just have to hang in there. Now, I'm going to go down to the cafeteria for some breakfast. Want anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Alright, I'll get you a bagel or something." With that, Daisy turned around to leave the room, almost bumping into Luigi.

"I-I'll go with you," Luigi stammered.

Luigi stood silently on the deck of the S.S. Toadstool, the ferry the Chancellor provided him, Daisy, and Waluigi with for their adventure. After breakfast they had gone their separate ways to prepare for their departure from the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi had gone to his and Mario's house to stock up on supplies. He hadn't found much, just a few red mushrooms and a fire flower left over from one of their adventures many years ago. He wasn't even sure if they still worked.

Luigi had then gone back to the Mushroom Palace to inform the Chancellor of his decision to leave. The Chancellor provided the group with the ferry, some food, and other necessities for their journey. He had waved them off from the port wishing them good luck. Luigi knew that they would need more than luck as soon as he caught sight of the ravaged island.

"That's Yoshi's Island?" Daisy, who had been standing beside Luigi, asked in disbelief.

Yoshi's Island was no longer the tropical paradise it had been when Luigi was a baby. It was quite the opposite. The highest point on the island was a huge volcano that could be seen from all sides. Volcanic ash had destroyed the once beautiful foliage and the rest had been torn down to make way for bizarre architecture that seemed to have no purpose.

"The captain wants to know where we should land this thing," came a voice from behind Luigi. He spun around to see Waluigi facing him.

"We need to find someplace secluded."

"Right-o oh wise leader," Waluigi snickered, and disappeared to inform the captain.

The ferry came to rest in a small cove near the island's shore. There was just enough dry land for Luigi, Waluigi, and Daisy to keep from getting soaked if they went one at a time.

"Well, this is it," Luigi said. "The Chancellor told me that the ferry will be here as long as we need it. If we can we should try to come back here every night. He also said to start looking for clues in a place called the 'Fuzzy Hut.' It's supposed to be kind of seedy. Maybe we should disguise ourselves."

"Wait here. I'll go look for something," Daisy replied. She disappeared into the hull of the ferry and came back with two lumps of cloth. "These cloaks were all I could find."

"I guess that will have to do."

Waluigi stood outside the Fuzzy Hut followed by two hooded figures.

"Remind me again why I got stuck representing us?" he whined.

"Because," Luigi said irritably, "We played rock scissors paper. You lost. Besides you have the look."

"What look?"

"The look of someone who could belong here."

"Oh, so now I belong here? Well let me just tell you something—"

"You guys!" Daisy cut in. "We're on a mission here. You can argue all you want when our friends are saved. Luigi, what's our next move?"

"The Chancellor said we need to speak to a Shy Guy named Slim. He used to be on the inside of Kamek's plan but decided it was too diabolical even for him."

"Well, I guess this is as good a place to start as any." Daisy sighed and peered up at the large orange neon sign that read

FUZZY HUT

DRINKS-POOL-FUZZ ROOM

"We'd better go in," she said. Waluigi pushed open the door.

As soon as Luigi walked into the dank bar he was greeted with the unpleasant smell of booze mixed with cigarette smoke and unwashed drunks. The only furniture in the room was the main bar and a couple of tables at which sat two Goombas each. A very large green Shy Guy stood behind the bar washing mugs and whistling to himself.

"That must be him," Luigi said, prodding Waluigi forward. Waluigi walked as casually as he could to the bar and sat down.

"I haven't seen many like you in these parts before. What's your poison?" asked the bartender.

"Look, Slim, I was hoping you could give me some...information." Waluigi replied quietly.

"Slim? I haven't heard that name since the fall of the island," the Shy-Guy whispered to himself. "Of course I can give you the tour!" he replied. "Follow me."

Waluigi, Daisy, and Luigi followed Slim down a long hallway past a door labeled "Fuzz Room" and down the stairs into a dank basement lit by a bare light bulb.

"We need to know about Kamek's plan," Waluigi began.

"What's in it for me?" asked the Shy Guy.

"What?"

"What's-in-it-for-me? I may be a Shy Guy but I'm not afraid to ask for something in return."

"Uh..." Waluigi looked back at his colleagues for help.

"Look," came Luigi's voice from behind his hood. "The Chancellor sent us. I'm sure that he can provide you with the kind of reward you're looking for."

"The Chancellor!" laughed Slim. "That lying piece of...but you wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"What?"

"Well, stick man, it goes like this. Back when the Big K took over this puny little island I was on his side. Kamek and his army of minions used to go from village to village killing the Yoshis who refused to join our cause. I was assigned to guard them once we took the compliers back to the hideout, and you can't be a guard without hearing some of the conversations that go on between the prisoners. Those little guys kept talking about some kind of pact they had with the Mushroom Kingdom. Something about how the Chancellor was going to save them all, blah blah blah.

One night they brought in a real pretty female Yoshi carrying a tiny green bundle in her arms. She kept screaming 'Don't take my child! I'll do anything you want, just leave the poor boy alone!' They threw both the mother and child into the crowded cell I was guarding. Well that just cut through my heart like a spear. Later that night I convinced her to give the boy to me. It wasn't easy, but I promised I would get him to safety. Early the next morning I stole a boat and sailed straight to the Mushroom Kingdom. I disguised myself and somehow made it past the Mushroom Palace guards to the Chancellor. I gave him the baby and asked him what he was doing about the situation on the island. And you know what he said to me? 'I have more important things to worry about.' More important things! What is more important than a dying species? If you ask me—"

"Nobody asked you! Look, your story was nice and all but we still need to know at least where Kamek is hiding these days."

"So you're stuck on that, eh? Well we still haven't discussed payment."

"I have a star that will make you invincible," came Luigi's voice.

"Good enough," replied the Shy Guy. "Kamek's hideout is in the—"

"Hey!" cut in a high-pitched voice. Luigi, Daisy, Waluigi, and the Shy Guy whirled around to see a Goomba standing in the doorway. "Well, this has been a nice little story time hasn't it? And you," he sneered at the Shy Guy. "I thought you looked familiar. After them!"

A horde of Goombas crowded the doorway and spilled into the room.

"What the—how did they all get here?" exclaimed Waluigi.

"There's no time!" cried Daisy. "We're done for!"

"No!" Luigi yelled and jumped as high as he could. He landed on one of the Goomba's heads and squished it flat. "Follow me!" Waluigi and Daisy quickly caught on to Luigi's plan and jumped their way out of the tiny basement room. Daisy had just enough time to look back and see the unfortunate bartender engulfed in the vicious creatures.

The tiny beasts chased the three humans up the stairs and down the hallway.

"They're gaining on us!" Waluigi shouted. He made a quick right turn, pushed open a door labeled "Fuzz room-happiness comes in a fluffy white ball" and ran in, with Daisy, Luigi, and the Goombas trailing behind.

The group was soon engulfed by a cloud of floating white creatures. One of them struck the goomba nearest to Luigi. The Goomba staggered, lost its balance, and fell. One by one, the fluffy creatures struck the Goombas, and, one by one, the goombas staggered and fell.

"HA!" cried Waluigi, waving his fist in the air. "We sure showed them."

"Waluigi no!" cried Luigi, but it was too late. One of the Fuzzies touched Waluigi's hand, and everything went black.


	4. Into the Forest

Author's Note: I apologize for the terribly long amount of time it has taken me to move this fanfic along. I finally have the time/inspiration/laptop computer to write whenever I want. I hope to finish or at least come close to finishing this fic by the end of the summer. Please review.

Chapter 4: Into the Forest

"Wauigi! Wake up!"

"Mmph?"

"WALUIGI!"

Waluigi sat up, holding his head with a pained expression on his face. His mind was racing and he could not focus on any of the random images going through his head. He opened his eyes and saw a blurry black figure. Waluigi opened his mouth to scream, but nothing came out. Suddenly, something came in contact with his left cheek and Daisy snapped into focus.

"Are you alright?" she asked

"Yea, super," Waluigi answered and tried to stand up. Without warning, the same images flashed in his mind's eye, only slower. He saw gnarled metal branches, a fiery mountain that seemed to touch the sky, and a cave that went on in infinite darkness. Then he heard a terrible, high pitched cackling. He covered his ears, which only made the cackling louder.

"Make it stop!" he screamed, and collapsed in a heap.

"Come on, Waluigi! You can't give up now." Waluigi came to again, this time instantly recognizing Daisy's face. He managed to sit up without much pain. "Here, eat this," Daisy continued, handing him a white mushroom with a red and white-spotted cap. "It will restore your strength."

Waluigi popped the fungus into his mouth, chewed slowly, and swallowed.

"Wh-where am I?"

"We're still in the pub, but we'd better get out of here before the Goombas wake up. Make sure you avoid the Fuzzies this time." Daisy held out her porcelain hand. "Come on."

Waluigi was surprised at her strength as she helped him to his feet. Daisy, Waluigi, and Luigi made their way back across the Fuzz Room, through the hallway, and out the door as quickly and quietly as they could.

"It's getting dark," Luigi said. "We'd better get back to the ferry. This way."

Luigi led the group back the way they had come, but instead of a path there lay a thick, tangled wall of metal branches.

"Nice move, genius," commented Waluigi.

"I could have sworn…It was right here, across from the entryway!"

Luigi ran to the other side of the building, desperately seeking a way out. He heard a creak, and a different path opened up before him. Luigi called to Daisy and Waluigi to show them the new way.

"We don't even know where it goes!" complained Waluigi.

"Well, we can't stay here," Luigi replied. "The only thing left to do is follow the trail."

Luigi led the way as the three adventurers stepped into darkness. As soon as they entered, the twisted vines closed around them with a creak. Luigi shrugged off his cloak, took off his backpack, and rummaged until he found a flashlight. As soon as the flashlight illuminated the path, something skittered away. Daisy shivered.

"Should we really be traveling in the dark like this? Isn't there a place where we can set up camp?"

Waluigi sniffed. "Let me know if you see one."

The three travelers pressed on. With each step, the forest seemed to grow darker until they came to a fork in the trail.

"Great, now what do we do?" complained Waluigi.

Luigi hesitated, trying to see any difference between the two possibilities. All he saw was the same tangle of metal that dominated the entire forest. Something rustled behind him. When he wheeled around, all he saw was forest.

"Daisy? Waluigi?" SuddenlyLuigi felt something wrap tightly around his torso.

"Well, what do we have here?" a voice hissed in his ear. "A tasty morsel perhaps? We've almost run out of Yoshis you know. And your friends are so skinny."

Luigi almost lost consciousness as the creature dragged him off the path and deeper into the forest. All he could see were the creature's many legs and red-shoed feet. Luigi tried to kick his legs and flail his arms, the metal branches scratching them, but the creature only held on tighter.

"If you struggle you will become stale!"

The creature stopped at a small, round hole embedded in the metal. He shoved Luigi through before crawling in. Luigi felt himself quickly sliding into its dark depths toward a faint glowing light.

Luigi hit the ground with a soft thud. He was in a vast cave, illuminated by what looked like fireflies trapped in glass jars. It smelled of earth and rot, and as his eyes adjusted he could see why. Bones littered the ground and were embedded in the ceiling and walls.

"Home, sweet home!" The creature grabbed Luigi again, and soon they were traveling down a long, pitch-black passageway. They turned left and soon were in a similar but smaller cave.

"Luigi!" cried Daisy.

He looked up to see Daisy and Waluigi trapped in two sticky webs plastered to a wall above him. The creature threw Luigi to the ground.

"Any last requests before I string you up with the rest?" the creature asked.

"Show yourself."

"As you wish."

The creature stepped away from Luigi and into the light. Luigi gasped. The creature's long, red, caterpillar-like body was divided into round sections. It had hundreds of legs, and it wore a shoe on each of its feet. Its eyes glowed with an intense brightness. The creature opened his mouth to reveal two rows of sharp fangs. Something about it seemed oddly familiar.

"You-you're…It can't be!"

"Yes! I am what you call a Wiggler. I'm not quite the cute little caterpillar everyone thinks I am, hm? But in this condition I am invincible! You see, before Kamek took over the Yoshis ruled the island. There were so many that we dare not come to the surface, for fear of annihilation. When the dark wizard began his rule he promised us invincibility and all the food we could eat. Unfortunately, he never delivered. We were forced to live in these same caves survive off of the Yoshis that escaped his grasp. In order to prevent collapse, we had to embed their bones into the walls and ceilings. You three are the tastiest morsels we've seen in months!"

"How many of you are there?"

"There are only three of us in this cave. Perhaps there are more, but we cannot travel very far from our homes."

An idea flashed into Luigi's head. "We can help you get revenge on Kamek, and…and find you all the food you could possibly eat!"

"What sort of food?"

Luigi took a mushroom from his pack and tossed it to the Wiggler, and he caught it in his jaws.

"Mmmm…" he rasped, "This is…the best thing I've ever tasted!"

"So you'll join us?"

"Sure. It beats wasting away in this hole." The Wiggler whistled and two Wigglers identical to the first turned the corner into the passage.

"Get these humans down!" he ordered. His cohorts climbed up the cavern wall and bit into the webs, loosening them. Waluigi and Daisy fell to the ground with a soft thud.

. "I am called Hunter. Those two are my brothers, Isaac and Marlow.

Luigi looked behind him. Waluigi was already talking to Isaac as if he had known him all his life, but Daisy was staring fearfully at Marlow as if he was still planning to eat her. The hungry look in his eyes did not help the situation. Daisy ran over to Luigi and whispered in his ear.

"How do we know we can trust them?"

"We don't," Luigi replied softly, leaning close to her, "but we need to make all the allies we can. They have agreed to help us, and that's all the convincing we can take right now. We can also prevent them from eating any more Yoshis, if there are even any left on this forsaken island."

Daisy nodded but didn't leave Luigi's side.

"I take it you're headed to Kamek's hideout, then?" Hunter asked. "Wish I knew where it was."

Something flashed in Waluigi's mind. "I know where it is! I saw it in my vision. It's inside the volcano!"

"Inside the volcano…" Luigi repeated, "That doesn't make any sense." He looked up at Hunter. "Does it?"

"There is a volcano at the end of the forest," he replied, "but it's a long trek. Perhaps you should rest here until morning."


	5. Reasons

Chapter 5: Reasons

The ground was cold, hard, and damp. As much as she hated to admit it, Daisy was not in the least comfortable in the conditions inside the Wiggler's cave. Even though she had not been back to her castle in months due to the Mario Kart races, she had always lived in luxury—fancy hotels and resorts, decadent food, and friendly, interesting people who were almost as well off as she. The natural world was definitely not something Daisy was used to. She almost laughed at herself out loud when she realized that the closest she had ever come to these conditions were the occasional rain storms that passed over the Mushroom Kingdom and were quickly forgotten, or the mildly rainy conditions on tropical islands such as the one she and her friends had stayed on only two days ago.

Daisy knew that the first thing on her mind should have been the rescue of her other friends, but she couldn't help but picture how handsome Luigi was that last night on the island. He had a certain look in his eyes before he bade her farewell, a look of longing, or perhaps she had imagined it. Then there was Waluigi. Although he was clearly unattractive and whiny, Daisy saw something more in him. Perhaps his refusal to take orders gave him a certain rebellious quality. At any rate, Daisy thought, she wasn't going to sleep very well.

"Daisy?" came a whisper not far from where she lay. Even in the dark, Daisy could tell that the murmur had a nasal quality to it.

"Waluigi?"

"Are you asleep?"

"Obviously not. Is Luigi?"

"He's sleeping like a rock. I can't believe anyone could be that comfortable in a place like this. Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

"Where?"

"If you look very carefully, there is a small crack in the far wall. I can see the faint glint of metal. Perhaps it leads outside the cave."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Well, if you can put _me _in a choke hold there's nothing out there that can stop you. Besides, there can't be anything more dangerous or scary in this forest than these caterpillar things, except Kamek, of course, and he's probably too busy waiting for us to come down and cause trouble. Or too lazy."

Daisy giggled quietly. "Okay. It may be awhile though…I can barely see my hand in front of my face."

Daisy slowly got up and made her way to the far end of the cave. She saw a shadow move beside her and almost panicked until she realized it was only Waluigi's gaunt figure. As they approached the crack, they saw that only one person would be able to get through at a time.

"You first, dear." Waluigi said when they finally got to their destination.

Daisy was confused by his remark but chose to ignore it. Even though she considered herself a petite woman, Daisy still had to hold her breath as she barely made her way through the crack. When she emerged she was surprised that she could still see the stars through the metal branches that twisted and turned in tangles above her. Waluigi was quickly beside her.

"Well, Princess," Waluigi remarked. "I am afraid there are no thrones out here in the Great Wilderness, but might I offer you a seat on the cold, hard ground?"

Daisy sighed and sat. "You know, Waluigi you can cut out the sarcasm any time."

"Ok, fine." Waluigi flopped down beside her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I suppose."

"Why did you come out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, you know."

"Well, I asked you first. Spill."

"To save Peach, Mario, and the others, of course."

"Oh, come on."

"What? I can't be a noble princess who actually has the will to do something about the problems of the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Well…sure you can. I'm just wondering if there isn't some other motivation. I'm obviously not Mr. Noble myself, but I'm wallowing in this wasteland like you and Luigi."

"Well, I'm a princess, right? That means that I get everything handed to me on a silver platter. I never have to choose my clothes, or what I eat, or even what I do during the day. Everything is precisely scheduled, from my tennis lessons in the morning, to piano lessons in the afternoon, to evening balls and galas. Even my vacations. Someone chooses which resort, what meals, and who I am allowed to see. I had to practically beg my father to let me join the racing circuit, not to mention the self-defense lessons."

"Self-defense lessons?"

"You don't think I learned that choke hold on my own, do you? Besides, my father was all for that after learning how many times Peach had gotten captured."

"Fair enough."

"This is the first time I've ever been in any real danger. The first time I've not had to be told what to do at every moment of my existence. I'm terrified, don't get me wrong, but at the same time I've never felt so invigorated." Daisy paused for a moment. "So, what about you? If you're not 'Mr. Noble' as you said, why are you here?"

Waluigi stared into the distance, collecting his thoughts. Finally, he spoke. "Do you want to know the real reason?"

"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have asked you!"

"Ok…here goes…The real reason I came out here is…I'm sorry, I have to go."

"What?"

Waluigi got up and shuffled back into the cave as quickly as he could. He ran blindly in the dark until he stumbled over Luigi.

"Hey!" Luigi exclaimed. "I was sleeping."

Waluigi was about to reply, but Hunter's voice cut in.

"We'd better get a move on if we want to get to safe camp before dark."

"Before dark…" Waluigi started before he noticed Daisy coming back into the cave through the same crack they had escaped through. The dawn light shone through her hair and around her body, giving her an angelic appearance. Both Luigi and Waluigi stared at her exquisite beauty.

"What?" Daisy asked. "Come on, you heard the Wiggler, let's go!"


	6. Familiarities

Chapter 6: Familiarities

Hunter had turned around to leave the cave and head back toward the forest, when Luigi ran in front of him.

"Wait a minute," Luigi said, "We can't keep blindly pushing through this territory. We need a plan."

"Who said anything about 'blindly'?" the creature asked. "I know this island like the back of my foot."

"But…last night was almost the last night of my life. You wanted to eat me, remember? There's something strange about this forest-"

"You mean besides the shiny vines, fuzzies, shy guys, and giant caterpillars?" Waluigi cut in.

Luigi chose to ignore him. "It's almost as if the forest has a mind of its own, like it's guiding us to where it wants us to go."

"Well, if that's the case, then why plan? You'll just end up in the same place anyway. Don't worry. I know that there are other caves that my brothers and I have built throughout this island. And I would advise you not to remind me what a tasty morsel you are, or I may rethink my decision about sparing you and your friend's lives."

"Ok," Luigi replied resignedly. Then he had another thought. "You said something about getting to 'safe camp' before dark. What could possibly be in this forest that is scarier than you and your brothers? No offense."

"Well, lately there has been something even larger than us wandering the area at night. I could see it last night before I captured you and your friends. I saw the shadow of its head in contrast with the sky. I could also hear footsteps. Large ones. I don't know about you, but I know it would be safer to stay underground to avoid it, so we'd better get a move on." Hunter whistled for his brothers, who crawled up from a cavern that ran even deeper into the cave. "Riding on our backs will make the journey go much faster. Luigi, you can come with me. You, girl," he said, pointing to Daisy, "you may ride with Isaac."

"She has a name, you know," Waluigi interrupted. Daisy was grateful that Waluigi had pointed out Hunter's lack of politeness. Hunter turned to Waluigi.

"And you, ride with Marlow. I have a feeling you two will fit together nicely."

Marlow and Isaac helped Waluigi and Daisy onto their backs. Luigi sighed and shouldered his backpack. He didn't remember it being so light and thought with dismay about how many supplies had fallen out when Hunter dragged him into the cave's depths. Hunter impatiently waited for Luigi to climb aboard.

"If no one else has any questions, we really need to get on with this journey. The sun will be down sooner than you think, and like I said, I would rather not be in plain sight when that happens."

Hunter led the way out of the cave, followed in single file by Marlow and Isaac. Luigi blinked in the sunlight as they exited. He had a much clearer view of the forest in the daylight. He noticed that what had looked like random twists and tangles of metal from the ferry and in the darkness actually had specific shapes. The metallic snarls that flanked either side of the path on which they were traveling began as short and stubby structures, like bushes. Farther into the forest, the tangles took on tree-like shapes. Some of them tapered as they rose into the sky, while others stayed thick throughout and spread out at the top. The ones that arched over the path were the most noticeable.

"Why are these structures here?" Luigi asked, gesturing away from the path.

"Kamek's magic," Hunter replied. "As far as I know, they don't reflect any purpose save to illustrate what is going on in his twisted mind. Perhaps he put it here to replace the trees that died out with the rest of this forest when he took over the island."

The rest of the morning was spent in relative silence as the travelers wound around and through the forest paths. Every time they stopped at a fork in the road, the forest made up its mind for them. This dark magic was very unsettling to the humans, but the beasts seemed fairly oblivious. At almost precisely noon they came to a clearing, and Hunter signaled for them to stop and rest.

Luigi climbed off of Hunter and sat on the ground. He rummaged through his pack but was only able to find one more mushroom and a half-empty canteen. As soon as Hunter put Luigi down he began inspecting some of the closer structures.

"What are you doing?" Luigi asked out of curiosity.

"Believe it or not, it does rain here on occasion. A lot of the precipitation collects in pools at the top of some of these structures. Some of it even trickles down to the lower branches and stands for a remarkably long time. This is the only way we have found to stay hydrated.."

Luigi got up and began looking at the constructions as well. He was surprised to find water pooled at the top of one of the bush-like ones. He knelt down and scooped the substance into his canteen.

"Is it safe to drink the water like this?" Luigi asked.

"Safe enough for us," Hunter replied, "as long as you don't mind a slightly bitter, ashy taste."

Luigi left Hunter to his activity and walked to the middle of the clearing where Waluigi and Daisy were sitting on the ground conversing while Isaac and Marlow pursued the same task as Hunter. Luigi didn't remember Daisy and Waluigi being so chummy a mere day ago. They were talking as if they were old friends, and Luigi felt awkward interrupting them. He realized that at this point it was better to butt into the conversation than risk being alienated. Luigi sat down awkwardly next to Daisy.

"Uh…what are you guys talking about?" was all Luigi could manage to say.

"None of your beeswax," replied Waluigi.

"Waluigi," Daisy warned, then addressed Luigi. "We were discussing a possible game plan. You know, for when we find the others."

"Come up with anything good?" asked Luigi.

"Not really. It's hard to say what the situation is, considering we don't know exactly where they are. Although Waluigi has been telling me about his visions."

Luigi gave Waluigi an incredulous look. "What?" replied Waluigi. "I was having visions in the bar before I collapsed. And I had one last night as a matter of fact. It was really more of a dream. I was standing in a dark cave. There was an eerie silence, then I thought I heard a cry for help. I turned a corner, and I saw something horrible. It looked like your brother--"

"Maybe you'd better not tell him the rest," answered Daisy.

"Tell me what?" Luigi asked more bravely than he felt. "It's not fair to start telling a story and just stop in the middle."

"Okay," Waluigi hesitated, then continued. "It looked like your brother, but there was something off about him. I bent down to help him up, but he was so cold, except for the burns on his hands. They were very similar to the ones we saw on Toad. Then he opened his eyes. They were red and blazing, like fire. He came forward and started to strangle me. Then I woke up."

Luigi thought about this for a moment. These images seemed so familiar to him, but he didn't know why. Suddenly it dawned on him.

"I didn't remember it at the time," Luigi said to Daisy and Waluigi, "but I had a similar dream that night we spent at the hospital. Only it wasn't Mario lying on the ground, it was…Peach, I think. I don't blame you for not coming up with anything. The only thing I can conclude from this is that we'd better get going as soon as possible if we want to save our friends. Hunter, Isaac, Marlow," Luigi called, "It's probably time that we--"

Luigi was interrupted by a sharp fiery stab in his right shoulder. He gasped in pain.

"Luigi!" Daisy cried and ran over to help him. She knelt beside him and saw a large, feathered arrow protruding from him.

Isaac noticed more arrows coming their way and quickly came over to the group of humans. He stood in front of them to protect them from the barrage, which merely bounced off his tough skin.

"You cowards!" he cried into the forest. "You won't damage me, so you'd better show yourselves."

There was as rustling and a small creature stepped into the clearing. It stood on two legs and had a bow tucked under one small arm and a quiver strapped to its back. Its yellow scaly skin and large eyes were recognizable to all. Even Luigi stared in disbelief through his painful haze.


	7. Even the Largest Creatures

Author's Note: I am going to try my very best to start updating every weekend. No promises, but I really will try. I am extremely grateful to those who have added my story to your favorites and reviewed.

Chapter 7: Even the Largest Creatures

As soon as Marlow noticed the being standing near Isaac, he lunged for it. He did not realize there were escaped Yoshis left on the forsaken island and longed for the taste of their flesh. Unfortunately, Marlow forgot that like the other Wigglers, he still had weak points on his body. As soon as the Yoshi noticed the attacker, she drew her bow and with great precision fired an arrow directly into his left eye socket. Isaac, Daisy, Luigi, and Waluigi watched in horror as Marlow crashed to the ground.

"Stop!" came a high-pitched voice from the woods. "The chief said to bring anyone we found back alive."

The yellow Yoshi looked at the remaining members of the group with great disgust. "Fine," she said. "Take them along with the large one we found on the other side of the clearing."

The yellow Yoshi whistled and three other Yoshis came into the clearing holding coils of rope that were made from the forest's metal foliage.

"No need to tie me up," Isaac said, choking back tears. "I'll go quietly. I only ask that you let me look at my brother one last time before we go." He slowly moved away from the trio of humans.

"I suppose I should take my arrow back," the yellow Yoshi said as she moved toward Luigi.

"No!" Daisy shouted as she put herself between the Yoshi and Luigi. "You'll…you'll hurt him," she concluded meekly.

"Foolish girl, do you think I would be that cruel?" the yellow Yoshi asked as she tried to push her way past Daisy.

Daisy instantly regained confidence and held her ground. "Well, you did just kill one of my friends who was only trying to help us. Why should I trust you? I don't even know who you are!"

"You _are_ foolish. But brave. I admire that. If you must know, my name is Shiori. I promise I will not hurt the human. If you would back away so I can attend to him we can return to our hideout. It will be dark soon."

Daisy allowed Shiori to pass and knelt down beside Luigi, who was slumped in a sitting position in the middle of the clearing. Luigi made a weak sound of protest when he saw Shiori sit near his wounded arm on the other side of his body.

"Luigi," Daisy whispered softly so that only he could hear, "This is Shiori. She's going to help you."

Daisy held Luigi's hand as Shiori began her work. She rummaged through a small pack on her side for supplies then deftly plucked the arrow from Luigi's shoulder. Shiori dabbed the wound with a rag which contained a foul-smelling salve. She held the rag to Luigi's shoulder and tied it on with some of her rope.

While Shiori was attending to Luigi, Waluigi followed Isaac to the place where Marlow lay. Marlow's once bright red skin was dull now, and the light had gone out in his uninjured eye. He looked like a shed exoskeleton rather than a great and powerful beast.

"M-Marlow and I always looked after each other," Isaac choked. "I always thought Hunter was too hard on him. I tried to encourage and protect him, but he grew bitter as time passed. I'm surprised he even agreed to help you and your friends. It doesn't matter now. I just wish there was some way to avenge him. I feel as though I should want to kill the creature who did this, but I know in my heart that she is not the real enemy here--" Isaac's voice broke. "P-please, if there's anything you can say to honor Marlow, do."

Waluigi cleared his throat. "Uh…I didn't know Marlow very well. The time we had together was short, but I will always be grateful that he chose to help us." Isaac nodded in thanks. "Let's go to the others. The sooner we get out of this clearing the sooner we can get where we need to go."

Shiori was finishing Luigi's treatment as Waluigi and Isaac joined her and Daisy.

"There," Shiori said as she stood up. "He will need more care, but I cannot give it to him. Thankfully for him we have more supplies at our hideout."

"Can you stand?" Daisy asked Luigi.

Luigi nodded as Daisy helped him to his feet. "Th-thank you," Luigi said to Shoiri.

"We must get going," Shoiri replied. "We still have about an hour's journey back to our hideout from here.

Isaac offered to carry Luigi on his back, and he eagerly accepted. Shiori whistled, and three other yellow Yoshis joined her. She ordered them to bind Waluigi and Daisy's hands behind their backs. Daisy took this action as a sign that Shoiri still did not trust them. The group left the clearing in single-file, with Shiori leading and Daisy, Waluigi, and the other Yoshis following behind. Isaac and Luigi trailed at the end of the line.

Waluigi was deep in thought as the group once again made its journey into the woods.

"What's wrong? Daisy asked," I haven't heard a peep out of you in minutes.

"I'm just thinking," Waluigi said. "I was shocked that Shoiri could take Marlow down so easily. I guess I had adopted Wario's mindset--that whoever is the biggest is the strongest."

"Even the largest creatures have weak points, Waluigi," Daisy replied. "Why do you think Mario and Luigi defeated Bowser so many times?"

"Guess I never thought of that. I've always been a sort of outsider when it came to the doings of the 'Great Mario Brothers.'"

"I heard that," Luigi interjected from the back of the group. If the day had not been so horrible, Daisy and Waluigi may have laughed at this. However, Luigi's comment did put them more at ease.

"I suppose we should just be glad that Shoiri chose to help us eventually," Daisy said to Waluigi. "We all could've been dead back there."

Waluigi sighed. "You're right. Maybe we can convince this chief of theirs to fight for our cause.

They traveled on until they came to what appeared to be a solid wall of metal. Shiori let out several calls. A crack appeared in the wall and opened little by little until there was enough room for everyone to fit through. They barely had enough time to enter before the door snapped shut again.

"This way," Shoiri gestured. She led them down a long passageway that ended in a great room. The humans and Isaac could not believe their eyes. The room contained a jungle of plants that were lush and green. Palm trees stretched to the ceiling, and flowers and bushes grew up on either side of a dirt path. Daisy thought she could hear a waterfall in the distance.

"How is this possible?" Daisy asked as she touched a nearby flower.

"There are places even Kamek does not know about. There is magic that even he cannot quiet," replied Shoiri. "Come, we must take you to the chief."

The travelers walked until they came to the end of the path. Here the jungle widened to accommodate what appeared to be a throne room. Hunter stood to the left of the throne talking to what the humans could only assume was the cheif. The man sitting on the throne was incredibly small. He was wearing a lab coat and enormous round glasses. His head was bald except for a tuft of white hair that seemed to stick straight up.

Luigi contributed the sight of this man to delirium. He had not seen Professor Elvin Gadd since that fateful night when he had been forced to save Mario from a haunted mansion.


	8. The Professor's Daughter

Author's note: Sorry for the slight delay in updating. I will try to be more vigilant next time, but I think this is worth the wait J

Chapter 8: The Professor's Daughter

Luigi signaled for Isaac to kneel so that he could dismount and walk toward his old friend. He stopped at a comfortable distance in front of Professor E. Gadd. Thankfully the professor spoke first. Luigi was so speechless that he wasn't sure what he would have done if waited for.

"Luigi my boy, is that you?" the professor exclaimed. His eyes fell on Luigi's shoulder. "Oh, you've been hurt. How did that happen?"

Shiori stepped forward. "I am afraid that was my doing," she said. "When I saw that there were so many in the clearing, I became frightened. I thought a stealthy ambush might be the right thing to do, but when I fired my arrows, the others started firing too. And I killed that…that _monster_. He tried to eat me." Shiori looked apologetically at Hunter, then at Isaac. Isaac tried to read Hunter's face as Shiori was delivering the news of the death of their brother, but Hunter either didn't understand or didn't care.

"This is very grave news indeed." the professor replied. "I will think about this. In the meantime please take Luigi to the medical unit to get him properly fixed up. Luigi, when you are finished we will get you some food. In fact, you all look famished. I will save any further questions until after you have had something to eat."

Shiori led Luigi down a path to the right of the throne. Professor Gadd stood up and signaled Daisy, Waluigi, Hunter, and Isaac to follow him down a path leading to the left. Hunter opted to stay behind, and the rest of the Yoshis dispersed and continued about their business.

"What is this place?" Daisy asked as they made their way toward the dining hall.

"Why, my lab, of course," the professor replied. "I came to this island about three years before it was taken over. Back then I had several assistants. Most were Yoshis, but some were those delightful Toadstool folk. My daughter has been staying here with me since the lab was built. She's working in the medical unit right now, so Luigi will get to meet her before you do. An incredibly bright girl. Anyway, my assistants and my daughter helped build this lab. It was a huge operation. Thankfully we were done about six months before Kamek's takeover. In the early days of the invasion many of the Toadstool people got off the island as soon as they could. Most of the Yoshis weren't so lucky. Fortunately, the ones who actually stayed in the lab weren't harmed. I don't think Kamek knows this lab exists even now. Ah, here we are."

The "dining hall" was really no more than a tiny room. A large wooden table took up most of the space, and the rest of it was filled by ten mismatched chairs that were awkwardly pushed into the table.

"I don't think there is going to be enough room for you," the professor told Isaac apologetically. "I'll go to the kitchen and see what I can come up with for you to take back to your brother." Isaac nodded his thanks. "The rest of you have a seat. The food here isn't great, but I'm sure it's a darn sight better than whatever you've been able to find on the island."

The professor disappeared through the dining hall's door as the others took their places at the table. There was scarce to look at in the room, save for a small picture of the professor and a tall, slender woman. Daisy and Waluigi sat in awkward silence until the professor returned with a large bowl and a serving platter. A blue Yoshi followed him with enough plates, cups, and silverware to accommodate the group. He promptly began setting the table.

"Help yourselves," the professor said as he placed the platter and the bowl in the center of the table. "The salad is made from plants growing in our artificial jungle, and the steamed freshwater mussels were harvested from our lake this morning. I'm sure you heard the waterfall when you came in."

The blue Yoshi left after he was finished setting the table and quickly returned with a pitcher of water. He filled everyone's glasses and left the room again.

"Shinji," the professor said, gesturing in the direction of the Yoshi. He assists with housekeeping and cooking. He is a fine cook. I am fortunate that he was spared from Kamek."

"Thank you so much for your hospitality," Daisy said politely.

"So, what do you know about Kamek's takeover?" Waluigi asked suspiciously. Daisy glared at him.

"Well…" the professor paused to think. "Not a lot, really. I have been down here for most of the events. I picked up a few things from our Yoshi refugees, though. It seems the island began to slowly die for no apparent reason. Then what they called the "metal forest" sprang up out of the ruin. The poor creatures. They had no resources, nothing to eat and hardly anything to drink. Most of them gave up and became Kamek's slaves. The others, as I said, are being harbored here. There are not many of them, but they have all pledged their allegiance to me. I send them out to look for survivors and enemies." He sighed. "I also promised them that I would help them reclaim their land. I have been considering this for quite some time, but I hadn't come up with any ideas until you came along. Oh, but I've been so rude. I haven't even taken the time to ask your names."

"I'm Waluigi, and she's Daisy," Waluigi replied.

"Well, Daisy and Waluigi, what brings you and Luigi to this island?"

Daisy explained their mission as quickly as she possibly could. She did not want to dwell on the grittier details of the story, especially since she was still unsure about how it was going to turn out in the end.

"How terrible!" The professor exclaimed. "We must come up with some kind of a plan to rescue your friends and take this island back. You may be our last hope. But not tonight. It is getting late, and you are weary. I will show you to the sleeping quarters."

On their way they passed the medical unit. Daisy requested that she be allowed to visit Luigi, and the professor agreed. Waluigi opted to continue on. The medical unit was about twice as large as the dining room. There was enough space for two beds and a cabinet which held various medical supplies. The bed farthest from the entrance was unoccupied, but a woman in a white lab coat sat near the closest bed where Luigi slept.

"Oh…" Daisy said, completely caught off guard. "You must be the professor's daughter.

The woman turned away from Luigi. If the professor had not told Daisy that this was his daughter she would not have believed it. Even though she was seated, Daisy could tell she was much taller than her miniscule father. She had soft black hair that fell in ringlets around her face and deep blue eyes that seemed to dazzle even in the dim light of the medical unit. The only resemblance she had to her father were the large glasses perched on top of her long nose.

"Yes," she replied, "My name is Ursula Reka Gadd, though everyone around here calls me Eureka."

"How is he?" Daisy asked.

"The wound wasn't too bad to patch up. Just a scratch really. I was able to stitch it up quickly. It's just that your friend is so interesting. We got to talking, and he mentioned that he was tired eventually. No small wonder, since you have traveled so far. I told him he could sleep here."

"I see," Daisy replied, gritting her teeth slightly. "Well, I'm glad he's OK. It was nice to meet you, Eureka. Would you mind pointing me in the direction of the sleeping quarters?"

"Of course. Turn around, take the path to the right. Go past the dining room and turn down the only hallway you see."

"Thank you," Daisy replied and left.

Daisy struggled with her thoughts as she briskly walked toward the sleeping quarters. She couldn't believe that she had worked so hard to get Luigi to open up to her that night in the bungalow, and now Eureka had done so in what seemed to her like minutes.

Daisy sighed loudly as she entered the sleeping quarters. The room was as small as the dining hall, and she was beginning to feel claustrophobic.

"What's wrong?" Waluigi asked. For once he was sincere.

"Oh, nothing," Daisy replied. "I'm just--just frustrated. I'm ready to save our friends and get off this stinking island."

"If only it were that simple," Waluigi replied. "You know, we could just sneak out of here. Leave Luigi and the rest to themselves." He smiled mischievously.

Daisy laughed. "Yes, that would be perfect. I would definitely be able to go back to Sarasaland if we did that. They would probably give me a medal."

"Hey, now you're starting to sound like me!"

"Well, in any case we need to get some rest. Get off the top bunk. That's _my_ bunk."

Waluigi complied, and Daisy settled into the bed, which felt luxurious after the night she spent on the floor of a cave. As Waluigi settled into his own bed, he couldn't help but think that his plan to win the princess's heart was working perfectly.


	9. Laying Plans

Chapter 9: Laying Plans

When Daisy woke up the next morning, she noticed Waluigi was not in his bunk. Worried, she climbed to the floor. On the bottom bunk of the bed was a note that read:

"Daisy,

I didn't want to wake you up, but I left you your change of clothes (from the professor) on my bed. Join us in the dining hall for breakfast when you can.

--Waluigi"

Daisy was surprised that such a seemingly inelegant man could write with such perfect penmanship. She picked up the clothes lying on the bed--a black turtleneck and black cargo pants. It was quite a change from the khaki outfit she had been wearing at the beginning of the trip, but it was much cleaner. She quickly changed, left the bedroom, and walked to the dining hall.

When she got there her friends were seated around the already set table. Professor E. Gadd sat at the head, and Luigi was next to Eureka. Daisy felt a jealous pang as she settled into the seat Waluigi had saved for her.

"So nice to see you up and about," remarked the professor. "Please have some breakfast."

Waluigi passed Daisy a plate of succulent looking fruit. Shinji appeared seemingly out of nowhere and filled Daisy's cup with fresh coffee.

"Well, now that we are all settled I would like to discuss our plans for today. As you can see, I have sketched out a rough map of this island," E. Gadd said, gesturing to a crudely-drawn map on the back wall. From what the others could see, the professor's laboratory was only a few inches from the foot of the volcano. "If what Waluigi has told me is true, then Kamek's hideout is somewhere inside this volcano. As of now, we are about a three hour's journey from the foot of the mountain. The fact that you are all in black might confuse you. Allow me to clear it up. I propose that you sneak to the top under cover of darkness, take out any guards, and slip into Kamek's hideout. After that I'm afraid you're on your own. You must not get caught or all hope is lost."

Waluigi stared at the professor incredulously. "That's it? The best you could come up with?" 'sneak around and try not to get caught?'"

"Of course it isn't!" the professor snapped. "If you would just let me finish, I could tell you that I have some inventions that will help you out. I am also sending Shiori and some of the other Yoshi warriors to help you navigate the mountain pass. They have been spying on Kamek and his minions for quite some time now and have a good idea of their habits. After breakfast I will show you what I have for you."

Luigi told Eureka stories of his and Mario's adventures for the rest of breakfast while Daisy glowered at them. Every once in awhile Waluigi would try to begin a conversation with her, but she clearly did not want to listen to him. The professor sat drinking coffee in happy obliviousness.

"--So then, just as I'm about to take a death-defying leap over the lava pit, Mario shouts, 'Hey Luigi, did you know there's a fence we can climb up here?" Luigi related to Eureka. Eureka giggled. "Eventually, of course, we got to Iggy, but by that time Mario was so exhausted that I ended up defeating the koopa all on my own, only to find out that the princess was in another castle." They both laughed.

"Excuse me," Daisy interrupted, "but are you two not aware that Mario and the others are still trapped in Kamek's lair? Perhaps instead of regaling each other with stories from the distant past we should actually do something about that!" There was an uncomfortable silence that Professor Gadd took as a cue that breakfast was over.

"Well now, if you are all finished we should really get you set up for your mission," he said.

The group pushed out their chairs and followed the professor down yet another path leading from the dining hall. The path seemed to go on forever but finally ended at a large steel door, much like the one Daisy, Waluigi, the Wigglers, and the Yoshis had entered the day before. Professor E. Gadd punched a code into the keypad until he heard a click. Then the doors slid apart automatically.

Daisy, Luigi, and Waluigi could not believe their eyes. The room was larger by far than any of the rooms they had previously seen. The walls were made of steel, and the floor was concrete. On the opposite end of the room sat a network of large computer screens. One screen showed a map of the island, and the other two showed a list of complex figures that were only intelligible to the professor. The rest of the room was filled with Yoshis in lab coats working on various gadgets. Some of the gadgets looked like carts, others like flying machines. Waluigi ducked as a Yoshi wearing a jet pack almost rocketed into him.

"This is the heart of my lab," the professor exclaimed, spreading his arms wide. "My life's work. There are things here that no one has ever seen before and some that I am improving. Come this way, I have something for you to take on your journey."

The professor shuffled to a table in the far right corner of the room and signaled the others to follow him. Three small rectangular devices sat on the table.

"Now, Luigi, you may remember that Game Boy Horror I invented to help you detect ghosts. These are much improved versions of that device." The professor giggled impishly. "I call them Danger Scopes, or DSs for short. Here, try them out." E. Gadd handed a yellow version of the device to Daisy and a green one to Luigi. He kept the black one for demonstration. "If you open the apparatus you can see that there are two screens, one on top and the other on the bottom. You will see that my DS is a bit different than yours. What you are holding is really the "lite" version of my invention, but they work similarly."

"Anyway," he continued, "You turn yours on by pushing up on the button to the right of the bottom screen." He waited until Daisy and Luigi had turned on their Dss. "Good. Now, if you look at the top screen you'll see that the DS has already generated a map of this room. Not much to see, really, but it has detected that there are other devices. See the black and green dots on yours, Daisy? That means that I am here and Luigi is here. The top screen will automatically generate a map of any room you are in, anywhere in the world. Sometimes it can even detect other rooms. It will also show other devices in a similar area."

"Now, onto the bottom screen. This screen has two functions. One is to detect danger, hence the name of the device. 'Danger' can come in the form of dark magic or weapons. If there is danger around, a small dot will appear at the bottom right hand corner. It will glow a brighter red the closer the danger. Another great feature of this screen is that you can write messages to each other on it using the stylus built into the right hand side. However, the message will only get across if the top screen shows that another DS is near. Got all that?"

Luigi, Daisy, and Waluigi nodded. The professor handed Waluigi the third DS.

"Let's get you some supplies. By the time we are all geared up and ready to go, it will probably be close to twilight. You should be off then."

The mention of twilight caused Daisy to remember what Hunter had said two days before. "Professor?" she asked.

"Yes, Daisy," the professor replied.

"Our friend Hunter mentioned something large that wanders the forest at night. Do you know anything about that?"

"Hmm," the professor thought, stroking his chin as if he had a beard. "I do remember hearing some rather large footsteps lumbering past the lab a couple of days ago, and the Yoshis have reported something stomping around the forest. I don't really know anything other than that. I'm sure if you're careful and stick to the shadows you won't get caught."

Daisy was not very comforted by the professor's statement, but politeness required that she thank him.

"Are you coming with us, Eureka?" Luigi asked shyly.

"Why, yes," she replied. "Didn't you notice that my outfit is the same as all of yours? Besides, you need someone who has studied this island for a number of years."

"Yes," the professor cut in, "and I am no spring chicken. Not anymore, at least," he chuckled. "This is a fine opportunity for you, Eureka."

"Well, I guess that settles it," Daisy said, a little too crisply. "Let's gather our supplies quickly so that we can set out."

The rest of the day was spent preparing for the mission. The professor provided Daisy, Waluigi, and Eureka with backpacks filled with three day's worth of food from the indoor jungle. He also gave them some of the rope the Yoshis had been carrying the day before in the forest. Finally, the professor equipped Eureka with a bow and quiver, which she wore on her hip.

"Now it's time to put those archery lessons to the test, my dear." he said.

The professor gave Waluigi, Luigi, and Daisy special walking sticks.

"If you press the button near the top," he explained, "you will see a spike shoot out from the end. Very useful for climbing as well as defending oneself."

As they were preparing, Waluigi had a thought. "Are Hunter and Isaac coming too?"

"I'm afraid not," the professor replied with a concerned look on his face. "I spoke with them last night. They decided that they were much too large to be sneaking around Kamek's lair. And Isaac is still pretty upset about the death of his brother."

The group finished preparations for its journey around sunset. All that was left was to say goodbye to those who were not coming with them. The professor led them back to the entrance hall, where Hunter, Isaac, Shiori, and three other Yoshis were waiting.

Luigi walked up to Hunter and Isaac and placed a hand on their backs.

"Thank you so much for all of your help," he said to them. "Without your compassion and guidance we probably wouldn't have gotten this far."

"Yes, you would have been Wiggler fodder for sure," Hunter replied.

Eureka hugged her father. "Take care, Daddy. Please, don't miss me too much."

"My dearest," the professor replied, "Your mother would have been so proud of you. Take care of yourself." A tear slipped out from under his glasses.

"I'll be back, I promise." Eureka said to her father and hugged him again.

The group gathered together for one last speech from the professor.

"You will encounter much danger when you leave this lab. Stay alert, and be careful. Do not be afraid to defend yourselves and your friends at all costs. Your captive friends and I are counting on you. This whole island is counting on you. Good luck."


	10. The Game Begins

**Author's Note: Hello again! I apologize for the appallingly long time it has been since I last updated. March has been amazingly busy for me. Before I post the next chapter I would also like to advertise my new one shot, **_**A World Apart**_**. I haven't gotten any reviews yet…**

**Chapter 10: The Game Begins**

Shiori stepped into the semi-darkness and motioned for the others to follow her out of the gate that marked the lab's exit. Luigi followed her along with Eureka, and Daisy and Waluigi were not far behind. The other three Yoshis brought up the rear.

Luigi was not talking animatedly to Eureka the way he had at breakfast. After his eyes adjusted to the low light he realized that the jungle seemed somehow even more foreboding than it had been in previous days. He did not want to think about what sort of evil made this possible.

Eureka sensed Luigi's mood and decided to refrain from conversation. Instead she focused on her images of this area before Kamek invaded. It was lush with palm trees and bushes bearing plump fruit. The Yoshis lived in harmony with their surroundings. She remembered spending many sunny afternoons observing their way of life. No matter what mood she was in, their friendly greetings had always comforted her. She sighed. The island would probably never be that wonderful place again. Her only hope now was to help Luigi find his friends and save them, somehow. She wouldn't admit it to the others, but there was something odd about her father's instructions to them. He was usually better prepared and more thorough when it came to situations like this.

Waluigi was lost in thought as well. He had to think of a way to tell Daisy how he felt about her. He was not the most articulate man, but he was observant. Then again, someone would have to be blind not to see Daisy's envy whenever Eureka and Luigi talked, even whenever they looked at each other. He wondered if he should just come out and tell her in earnest, but this could hardly be the right time.

Waluigi looked to his right at Daisy. Her eyes remained forward, and her jaw was set. She betrayed no feeling.

If Waluigi could have read Daisy's mind he would have seen a storm of emotions. Daisy couldn't stand seeing Luigi and Eureka walking so close to each other. At the same time she felt comforted by Waluigi's presence beside her. The darkness was closing in on the travelers fast, and she was glad to have someone she was beginning to trust next to her in case of danger. The DS could warn her of course, but it couldn't stop her from running away if things got terrifying.

Daisy decided to stop brooding for awhile at least. She concentrated on her surroundings. She hadn't noticed that a breeze had picked up, and Shiori was now guiding her and her companions by the light of a full moon. She thought the scene could have been romantic if the metal foliage had not been provoked by the wind to make scratching sounds. They gave her goosebumps. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Suddenly, Shiori stopped and motioned for the others to be silent. Daisy was not sure why they had halted until she heard a whooshing sound. She saw a small dark shape whiz down the path until it halted with a soft thud at Luigi's feet.

"What was that?" Waluigi demanded, startled out of his train of thought.

"I think it's a Koopa shell," Luigi replied as he picked it up.

It appeared to be just an everyday green shell, the kind Luigi was used to throwing in order to slow down the other karts in a race. When he looked closer he could see that something was burned into the top of the shell. He gasped. It was the same symbol that had been on the broom he found in what seemed like ages ago. He turned the shell over. There was something written on the underside in an unusual script.

_A Koopa has lost its shell! Down the path you might find him naked. The game has begun._

The travelers looked at each other with confusion. Then Waluigi noticed smoke coming from the shell's top hole.

"Luigi," he yelled, "throw the shell!"

Luigi complied on impulse and hurled the object off the path. The resulting explosion was more loud than damaging. Daisy had instinctively buried her head in Waluigi's shoulder to shield herself from the blast as soon as she had heard the explosion. She noticed his amused smirk as she pulled herself away.

"Don't read too much into that," she warned once she was a respectable distance from him. Waluigi gave her a mocking smile and looked toward Luigi.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Waluigi insisted.

The travelers hesitantly pressed on. The had only walked down the trail for ten minutes when they heard a weak whimpering sound. This time Shiori did not have to stop them from walking. She stepped off the path and beckoned for the others to follow.

They did not have to go far to find the source of the whimpers. Tied to one of the twisted structures was a small Koopa. Its mouth was gagged, and its eyes bulged in fear.

Luigi edged toward the creature and pulled the gag from its mouth. He discarded it onto the ground.

"Luigi," the Koopa gasped, "Message…" and its eyes closed.

"Oh God, is he…" Daisy trailed off.

"No, no he's still breathing. Someone cut him down," Luigi replied.

Shiori pulled a knife from her pouch and began to cut the creature down.

"He knew you," Shiori said to Luigi. It was more of a question than a statement.

Luigi suddenly realized who this Koopa was. "He raced with us. He must be one of the captives!" He searched his mind for a name. "His name is Kooper."

"He's burned," Shiori said once Kooper was free. "It looks like some kind of symbol."

Luigi felt sick to his stomach as everything clicked in his head. "It's Kamek's symbol. He's been branding objects, and now our friends as well." He suddenly flared in anger. "We have to move on! We have to save them!"

Shiori signaled one of her companions forward. "Take this Koopa back to the lab." The Yoshi took off in the other direction after securely placing Kooper in a riding position on his back. Shiori addressed the rest of the travelers.

"We should rest now. We will be at our destination soon, and we must be calm before we continue."

"How can you say that?" Luigi snapped. "Our friends are in mortal danger! Who knows what horrible things Kamek is doing to them?"

Eureka put a hand on Luigi's shoulder, and he relaxed a little. "Okay," he conceded, "but we can't stay long." He sat next to Eureka on a fallen branch.

Waluigi wandered, looking for a place to sit. He noticed Kooper's gag lying crumpled on the ground.

"Message," he mumbled to himself, "Isn't that what the Koopa said?"

He unfolded the gag. The same script that occupied this object had been written inside the Koopa shell, but this time it conveyed a different message:

_That clue was easy, but soon the sky will fall._

"Let me see that," Daisy commanded. "'Soon the sky will fall.' What on earth could that mean?"

Waluigi felt frightened for the first time since his fuzzy-induced vision. He gave up on looking for a seat and plopped down on the ground. Daisy sat next to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Yea, it's all just starting to come together for me. This whole time…we've _never _been in control. How are any of us going to get off this island alive?"

Daisy smacked Waluigi in the back of the head with no warning.

"How dare you lose hope!" she scolded him. "For you, of all people, to act like such a--a coward!" She sighed. "Sorry," she lowered the volume of her voice. "I've had a rough time these last couple of days."

"Care to tell me about it?" Waluigi asked.

"It's silly really."

"Come on," Waluigi hedged. "You just whacked me in the back of the head, I think I can make that small request of you."

Daisy took a deep breath and looked across from her at Luigi and Eureka to be sure they weren't eavesdropping. They were deep in conversation with their heads almost touching.

"Here goes," Daisy said to herself as she addressed Waluigi again.

"I've always kind of assumed that Luigi and I would end up together. I think that's always what my family wanted, too. I mean he's not royalty, far from it, but there aren't many human residents of Sarasaland. Actually, I think they were betting on Mario at first. He did save my life five years ago, but I've always seen him as more of a big brother."

"Anyway," she continued, "I always thought I had feelings for Luigi. That last night we were on Paradise Island I was sure, positively sure, that he was going to kiss me. He never made a move. I attributed it to shyness. Luigi has never really opened up to me, but he's had no problem talking to Eureka. I was so jealous at first, but now I'm wondering if Luigi and I were meant to be together at all."

"Wow," Waluigi exclaimed, acting surprised even though Daisy had just confirmed all of his suspicions.

"Daisy," he continued, "I have a confession to make. I--"

"Waluigi, look out!" Shiori screamed, pushing him out of the way.

The force of the shove knocked Waluigi on top of Daisy and into a tree trunk. Then he heard a loud explosion and saw a smoking hole where he and Daisy had been. Shiori lie motionless in the crater. Waluigi climbed down to check on her.

"Waluigi…" she coughed, "You and the others…run!" Her eyes closed in eternal sleep.

"Shiori," Waluigi whispered, realizing the full weight of the sacrifice she had made. He climbed out of the crater.

"Daisy, we have to go!" he exclaimed. "Get the others."

Daisy ran to where Luigi and Eureka sat, stunned.

"Come on, we have to go!" Daisy commanded as she grabbed Eureka's hand and pulled her up. Luigi followed.

They heard several whooshing sounds as heavy rounded objects fell into the forest and crashed around them.

"Run!" Daisy shouted.


	11. Loss

Author's Note: Hello again, I know it's been a hideously long time, but with summer approaching I now have the freedom to work on this story. I am also working on a new project, my blog The Den of the Dweekerd, in which I review books. Go here if you're interested: .com/

**Chapter 11: Loss**

They ran, and the forest conveniently opened up for them the way it had earlier in their journey. Daisy ran until she thought her lungs were going to explode. Waluigi noticed her lagging behind. He stopped and turned around.

"Come on, Daisy! We're almost there!" he shouted.

"How do you know?" she asked as she caught up with him. A falling object crashed and burst near her feet.

"It's not the time to ask questions, alright?" Waluigi grabbed her hand and pulled her along with them.

They lost track of time as they fled until they were suddenly halted by a mass of black rock.

"Daisy," Waluigi said, pointing above her head. "See that hole in the rock face? I think I can reach it if you give me a leg up."

Daisy gave Waluigi a skeptical look

"Don't worry, I'll pull you up!" he replied.

Daisy positioned herself directly under the hole and cupped her hands. Waluigi put his foot lightly on top of them.

"Okay," he said, "On three. One, two, three!"

Daisy pushed up on Waluigi's foot as he hoisted himself up and wriggled headfirst into the opening. The cave was pitch black, but he felt around until his hands found a small ledge of rock. He grabbed the ledge and flipped over it so he could hang feet-first. He was surprised when his feet hit solid ground.

"Waluigi?" Daisy cried hesitantly.

"I'm coming back up," he replied.

Waluigi climbed back up onto the ledge and hung his arms out of the hole.

"Can you reach my hands?" he asked.

Daisy stretched up her arms as high as she could, and Waluigi held her hands in a firm grasp.

"I'm going to pull you up. You'll have to flip over the ledge I'm standing on. Do you think you can do that?'

"I'll do just about anything at this point," Daisy responded.

Waluigi hauled Daisy up with surprising strength. Then he moved out of the way to give her enough room to upright herself. She landed gracefully on the cave's floor. Waluigi jumped down to join her. He heard Daisy rummaging in her backpack, and suddenly the cavern was flooded with light. Waluigi's first instinct was to tell Daisy to shut it off, lest Kamek somehow detect them. He almost laughed to himself when he realized the futility of trying to outmaneuver the creature who was guiding everyone through his own maze in the first place.

The scenery was bland compared to where they had come from, but it at least appeared to be safe. It seemed to the pair a relatively new cave, with no structures save the smooth rock ceiling and walls. The only natural light came through the same hole through which Daisy and Waluigi had come, and it was fading fast. Daisy thought she could see one final streak of light blazing across the sky from Kamek's unusual attack. She began to wonder what had become of the others.

Suddenly, Daisy heard soft thuds, like footsteps. She wheeled around and whipped her flashlight toward the back of the cave. The beam landed on Luigi's face.

"Luigi," Daisy greeted him with relief. "You made it. Where is Eureka? And the Yoshis?"

"I haven't seen the Yoshis since the attack. Eureka found another clue, but…I don't think you want to see it," he replied. Daisy noticed that Luigi's face was much paler than usual.

"Where is it?" Waluigi asked him.

"Go back that way." He pointed behind Daisy and deeper into the cave. "There's a small room to the left. I'm…going to go sit down."

"I'll stay with Luigi," Daisy whispered to Waluigi. "Go find Eureka."

Waluigi begrudgingly complied and headed in the direction Luigi had pointed. Daisy followed Luigi to a stone wall. He sat with his back to the wall, leaned his head against it, and closed his eyes. Daisy sat next to him. A long silence followed. Finally Luigi spoke.

"What are we doing?" He asked Daisy without looking at her.

"What do you mean? We're saving our friends. We're doing whatever it takes to be able to see them again, defying the odds, risking death, you know, hero stuff. You do it all the time." Daisy sounded braver than she felt.

"It's too late," Luigi whispered.

Before Daisy had a chance to speak again, Waluigi and Eureka returned. Daisy wondered why their faces didn't match Luigi's expression.

"It was nothing," Waluigi explained. "Just a small rock and another note from Kamek."

Luigi's eyes popped open, and he looked at Waluigi with a mixture of shock and disgust. "What?" he exclaimed, "Didn't you see it? I could have sworn…a severed head…my brother…"

"Nope. Sorry to disappoint. Scoot over." Waluigi wedged his way between Daisy and Luigi. Eureka lowered herself into a sitting position on Luigi's other side. She put her arm around Luigi's shoulders and for once, Daisy did not react.

"It must have been an illusion," Eureka explained soothingly. "Kamek is a wizard, after all."

"Well, aren't you going to read the note?" Waluigi asked with impatience.

Eureka cleared her throat before she began. "Illusions can be grand, reality is so bland. Follow the staircase and you will be closer to what you are looking for, but beware. Reality can also be harsh."

"Well, that explains a lot. I didn't even see a staircase. Oh wait, maybe one will appear-" Waluigi was cut off by a loud rumbling sound. He sighed. "Okay, okay I'll go check it out. Don't get up, you might strain yourselves."

Daisy shot Waluigi a menacing look as he picked himself off the floor. Waluigi ignored her and walked back to the room from which he and Eureka had come. He returned with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Let me guess," Daisy began. "You found the staircase."

"Yes," Waluigi replied wearily as he slumped back down on the floor. He yawned. "Maybe we should rest, just for awhile. Kamek has this all set up for us, so there probably isn't any harm in staying here awhile. He probably anticipated it." Waluigi leaned his head back against the wall. Within a few seconds his snoring echoed throughout the entire cave.

"Well, he's sure to scare away anything frightening anyway with that noise," Daisy mused. She took off her pack and placed it on the floor to use as a pillow.

"I suppose we could all use a little rest," Eureka said.

"I'm wide awake. Maybe I should stand guard." Luigi replied, still unsettled by Kamek's trickery. Eureka made no attempt to stop him as he left her side and paced back and forth across the small space. She soon fell asleep to the rhythm of his steps.

Luigi became lost in his own thoughts as he walked. He knew he saw Mario's head sitting next to that note, or at least he thought he was sure. Eureka had said it must have been an illusion. Were the other incidents illusions as well? Was this whole journey a lie? Luigi shuddered. Maybe everyone was already dead…

The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. A flashlight beam danced across the wall where his friends were sleeping.

"Hello?" Luigi called as quietly as he could. The flashlight settled on him.

"Oh…Luigi. I'm happy to see you. I thought the rest of you had died."

"Come closer, I can't see you." Luigi replied to the voice.

A red Yoshi stepped toward him. "It's me, Ichiro. I was traveling with Tokujiro and Saburo, but we became separated. I have yet to see Tokujiro. Saburo was hit with one of Kamek's fireballs," he concluded with a sad tone in his voice.

"I'm sorry," Luigi replied in sympathy. "You're welcome to join us. My friends were just resting. I don't have to tell you it's been a horrible day."

"Thank you, but I do not think I can sleep just now. I feel I must honor Saburo's passing, somehow. He was my brother."

"Maybe we should honor Shiori's as well," came a voice from the wall. It was Waluigi. He got up and joined Luigi and Ichirou in the middle of the cavern. "What do you usually do?" he asked, gravely serious.

Ichiro gasped. "Shiori was lost to us as well?"

"Yes…she…she saved my life." Waluigi looked ashamed.

"She was a very brave and compassionate creature." Ichiro bowed his head.

Luigi stood awkwardly between them, remembering that awful moment and what had progressed afterward. He remembered Daisy helping Eureka to her feet and following after them. Daisy and Waluigi had run much faster than either of them, and they had gotten separated at some point. The rest was a blur. The last thing Luigi remembered before everyone was reunited was finding an entrance to the cave.

"How do Yoshis honor their dead?" Waluigi asked Ichirou softly.

"I was a young child when this island was pure, but I remember the rituals of old. We would float the empty vessels on the leaves of the giant palm and commend their spirits to the hands of the Creator. Then we would sing."

Ichiro closed his eyes and hummed a melody neither Luigi nor Waluigi had ever heard before. It was slow but lilting and soothed their fears for the moment. When he was done, Ichiro spoke in a language the humans did not understand, save for the departed Yoshis' names.

"It means, 'Oh Creator, we give you the souls of Shiori and Saburo. May they rest now that their journey here is over," Ichiro explained. "I think I am ready for a rest now."

Waluigi led Ichiro to the cave wall. Ichiro curled up on the floor while Waluigi resumed his sleeping stance. Luigi chose to stay awake. He tried to imagine what would come next for them, the weary travelers who were called to do this impossible task. He watched through the hole in the cave wall as the stars faded and the sun began rising on another bleak day.


	12. Fire

Author's Note: Hello again. I know it's been some time, but I have finally worked up the motivation to write another chapter. I also realize that somehow I couldn't post a link to my blog in the last installment. However, if you still wish to check out my blog,I am on blogspot, and my blog is called "The Den of the Dweekerd."

**Chapter 12: Fire**

"Luigi, Luigi wake up!"

A groggy Luigi opened his eyes to search for a voice that seemed to come out of nowhere. He jumped when he realized Waluigi was kneeling in front of him at eye level.

"Agh! Don't scare me like that!" Luigi snapped.

"Well, Sleeping Beauty, I had to do something. Daisy and Eureka didn't have any luck. You were out like a light. Anyway, while you were busy snoozing the rest of us had a little conference. We've decided to go ahead and take Kamek's staircase to God-knows-where," Waluigi replied, "So let's get a move-on already!"

Luigi was too disoriented to argue. He got up and followed Waluigi to where the women and Ichiro were waiting, packed up and ready to embark on the next leg of their journey. Once Luigi and Waluigi had joined the group, the travelers went back to where Luigi thought he had seen Mario's head the night before. He shuddered at the thought as they reached the bottom of the stairway.

"Well, here goes nothing," Luigi muttered as he led the way.

What started as a few stairs leading straight upward soon became a gigantic spiral that wound in a lazy circle around a gaping hole. The stairs became narrower and narrower as the spiral wound up to a small opening in the ceiling. The dim light from the morning sun cast an eerie glow. Daisy and Ichiro clicked on their flashlights to prevent themselves and the others from falling into the abyss. They climbed in silence, uncertain of what Kamek had in store for them.

"Daisy, are you beeping?" Waluigi suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?" Daisy replied.

"I swear I keep hearing a beeping sound."

"My DS!" Daisy gasped. "Hold on a second."

The others stopped their ascent long enough to allow Daisy to pull out her Danger Scope. Sure enough, it was emitting a loud, high-pitched beeping sound. "Now, what is it the professor said? Oh yea, something like 'if there's danger around, the DS will start to beep,' but maybe this thing's defective. I don't see any-"

An extremely loud, low-pitched sound reverberated off the stairway, and a whooshing soon followed. A gigantic winged creature began to rise from the depths of the abyss until the travelers could behold its entire looming presence. Its huge body almost reached the far wall, and each of its hands and feet were larger than any one of the adventurers' entire bodies. A long, tale hung down past its feet. The creature's silver scales glittered in the light of Daisy and Ichiro's flashlights. The beast grinned, exposing two rows of extremely sharp teeth. Its red eyes glinted as it reared back its head.

"Hit the deck!" shouted Waluigi.

The party dove in opposite directions as the dragon released its fiery wrath. The creature roared, obviously frustrated that it had not hit its intended targets. It began to fly toward the top of the cavern.

"Is he giving up already?" ask Waluigi hopefully as he began to rise.

The dragon stopped suddenly, faced the scattered group, and unleashed another barrage of fire. Waluigi was almost singed but managed to scramble away just in time. The creature gave an even angrier call, shaking loose some of the smaller stones that had lodged themselves between the steps. It began to fly even higher.

"No you don't!" Eureka shouted.

She pulled a small, tan, crescent-shaped object from her pack as quickly as she could and pressed a switch near the top. It unfolded into a longbow. She pressed another button on the straight side of the bow, and an arrow appeared in her hand. With the precision of a practiced archer she stood and fired her bow upward. The arrow lodged in the dragon's throat, and it gave an even more powerful roar than it had before. The creature spiraled downward headfirst.

"Yes!" Eureka exclaimed. "Take that you vile creature!"

The "vile creature" was hardly defeated. After falling only a few feet it managed to upright itself. The dragon began to fly upward again until it was face-to-face with her, the grin again fixed onto its face.

"Eureka…" Luigi whispered as he stared in wide-eyed horror, unable to move.

The others simply looked on from their prone positions, as frozen in horror as Luigi was. Luigi finally decided that if he couldn't move he should at least try to distract the creature away from Eureka.

"Hey!" Luigi shouted to the great beast, "Leave her alone!"

The dragon did not turn its gaze from Eureka. The arrow still stuck to the creature bobbed up and down in a rhythmic, unsettling way, and Eureka could swear it was laughing at her. Despite the creature's highly intimidating presence, Eureka did not move.

The creature wound up for yet another blast of fire. Eureka paused until the dragon opened its jaws. She fired another arrow, but she was too shaky. It missed, bouncing off the beast's nose. The dragon managed to release another flame, but the impact from the arrow caused the creature to lose its concentration. The blast hit the wall between Eureka and Luigi.

"All right," Eureka said, staring straight into the monster's eyes. "One more time, you fiend. That's right, give it to me, right between the eyes."

This time the dragon didn't hesitate. It wound up in anticipation of its final fireball. Eureka rapidly fired another arrow straight at the dragon's mouth just before the flame shot out. This time the arrow hit its mark.

The dragon abruptly clamped its teeth together, and its eyes bugged in shock. It clawed at its throat until its wings stopped beating. Then the once-mighty beast quickly descended into the darkness. The adventurers heard a splash, and a fountain of white-hot liquid shot up from the bottom of the cavern. Daisy had a sudden realization as she scrambled back to her feet.

"This must be it-Kamek's hideout 'is in the volcano!' This must be where our friends are!"

"Th-thank you, Captain Obvious," Waluigi replied as he shakily rose for the second time.

"Eureka!" Luigi exclaimed, rising to his own feet. "That was amazing! You were so brave!"

Something overcame Luigi just then. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, or the realization that if Eureka hadn't defeated the creature he would've lost her. Whatever it was, Luigi's small crush on Eureka burst into a passionate fire. He ran to her, took her in his arms, and kissed her, dipping her over the side of the stairway but holding her tightly so that she wouldn't tumble in behind the dragon. Eureka yielded to the kiss, knowing that this was what she had wanted from the moment she met Luigi. Daisy and Waluigi stayed frozen in disbelief.

A piercing shriek sounded, breaking the couple out of their reverie. Something small and blue was flying down at an alarming speed. It halted in front of Luigi.

Kamek sat on his broom, dressed in his blue robe and pointed wizard's hat, the tell-tale glasses perched on his stubby nose. He snarled, exposing his pointed teeth.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I interrupt you two lovebirds?" the Koopa asked with more than a hint of sarcasm. "How dare you destroy my favorite creation? Do you know how long it will take to salvage his remains from down there? DO YOU? It took me _weeks_ to design and build up enough power to create that dragon, and you somehow managed to defeat it with a couple of measly arrows? You all deserve to be punished!"

During Kamek's reprimand, Eureka had managed to detach herself from Luigi and draw her bow once again. She aimed it where she believed Kamek's heart was.

"No you don't!" Kamek shouted before she could release her arrow. He pulled his gold wand from under his robes with an unbelievable swiftness and zapped Eureka's weapon. She gasped as the bow and arrow crumbled into dust.

"Now, as I was saying, you need to be punished."

Kamek muttered a few incomprehensible words and pointed his wand at the staircase. It began to crumble and crack apart. Soon it was divided into two halves. Waluigi and Daisy remained on one side, and Luigi and Ichiro stood on the other. Eureka slipped in between the crack Kamek had created but managed to catch herself on Luigi's side. Luigi grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Then the two halves began to slide downward.

"Enjoy your trip, you pathetic imbeciles! And if you manage to survive this, there will be more fun in store for you. That's right, I'm just getting started!" Kamek shouted.

Waluigi, Daisy, Luigi, Eureka, and Ichiro plunged into darkness.


End file.
